Feathers
by ZigzagoonCutie
Summary: Steven and Wallace live together in a small house. They do not have much money and Steven gets sick. Will Wallace be able to get the medicine to save him in time?


It was winter again. Wallace remembered that he had first met Steven in the harsh winds and bitter coldness of this season. That was a couple years ago. The two of them had moved in together in a small, but cozy house. Steven worked in the garden and Wallace made clothes to get by. Sure, they didn't make much, but they got to spend all the time they wanted with each other.

Steven was gathering logs for the fire place while Wallace was finishing the last of the cleaning. Once they both completed their tasks, they sat next to each other by the fire.

"It's so beautiful, just like you," Steven said. Of course he was referring to the snow that was falling heavily outside.

Wallace felt bad ruining the peaceful moment, but he was hungry. "I'll go start on dinner." They only could eat what they canned from the fall's harvest, but it was enough. He returned with a can of vegetables and started to cook them on the open fire.

They ate in silence, but it wasn't awkward, it was peaceful. Afterwards, Steven left to go get more firewood since they were out. He had to grab enough for the entire night, so he knew it would take a while. He gave Wallace a kiss goodbye and then set out into the pure snow.

He also remembered winter was the season he met Wallace in, it was after his strange experience with a Swanna he had. It was when he lived alone and had to get firewood for just himself. Back then he didn't have much money, like current times.

It had seemed he picked up all the branches from the ground and now, there was none left. Just when he thought he was going to have to climb trees to get some branches, a Swanna had swooped down and snapped off a branch for him. He found it unusual and figured it had accidently dropped it into his arms until it continued to do so.

After he had enough and started to head home, the Swanna dropped next to him. He gave it a few appreciative pats before continuing on his journey. The Swanna continued to follow him all the way home. Steven had decided to keep it and tied it to one of the beams of his porch. The next morning he was disappointed to find it gone, but he did find Wallace.

He smiled at the memory until a coughing fit broke him out of it. A sticky substance coated his hand as he did so. He looked down expecting to find mucus, but instead he found blood. Immediately alarmed, he started to head back home, but he didn't make it. Halfway there, he blacked out.

Wallace had decided to look for his lover and was relieved he did so. Steven was lying face down in the snow about a mile from their house. He picked the man up onto his back and carried him the rest of the way home. Wallace wasn't sure what was wrong with him so he heated some water on the dying fire. Steven was probably just cold.

"Steven, please wake up," Wallace asked as he shook Steven gently. Eventually he did open his eyes. Wallace couldn't help but take notice of how worn-out he looked.

"Am I home?" Steven asked. He blinked a couple of times and looked around, dazed. "What happened?"

"I found you out in the snow. Are you all right? Do you remember anything?" Wallace placed a warm rag on Steven's head, hoping it would fight off the chill.

"I remember coughing and then I think I passed out," Steven answered. "I think I'll be okay now. We are almost out of wood, I should go get some more." Steven made a move to get up.

"Don't worry about it, just stay here and rest," Wallace said placing a hand on his chest to push him back down. Steven sighed knowing there was no sense in arguing with Wallace.

After Wallace left, Steven couldn't help but feel worried. If he was sick, there was no way they could afford medicine, he hoped it wasn't anything too serious. Wallace didn't take too long to return and he fed the fire some more wood.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat by the bed Steven was laying on.

"Fine," Steven lied. He really felt like someone had slammed a tree into his chest and shoved lead down his throat. "Would you please sing for me?" Steven requested. Wallace had the most amazing voice, it was like a birds, light and airy.

"Okay," Wallace was about to start, but Steven had another coughing fit and the man began to prepare soup.

"We don't have much food," Steven argued. He didn't want them to starve later in the year because he was sick and ate too much food.

"It's all right, we have plenty," Wallace said. Steven wanted to talk, but he couldn't. He felt like every time he said something he was going to choke, but he had to show Wallace that he was going to be fine.

"Here, eat it all," Wallace said handing him a bowl with a spoon. He grabbed Steven's shoulders and back and helped him sit up so he could eat.

"Thanks," Steven said. He then closed his eyes, opening them only when he heard Wallace start singing. "You have such a beautiful voice."

"You would still love me if I didn't, right?" Wallace asked uncharacteristically nervous. Steven nodded and started to drift off because of the calming melody.

Wallace was already up the next morning by the time Steven woke up. He had pulled his loom into the bedroom and was diligently working on clothes. Steven smiled at his lover's diligence. There were already several shirts and blouses lying in a basket to be taken to the market.

"How long have you been at it?" Steven joked. He saw Wallace jump and realized the man hadn't known he was awake.

"Depends on what time it is now. I would say three or four hours," Wallace answered without looking up from his work. Steven's eyes widened.

"You don't need to work yourself to death," Steven said. He was going to get up, but he started coughing. Wallace immediately got up to sit next to him and rubbed his back soothingly.

"Neither do you. You are the one that got sick. We'll get medicine for you though, I promise." Steven was touched by Wallace's dedication to him. Wallace worked for days while Steven just lay in bed and watched him. Each day his health seemed to be deteriorating.

"I'll be back soon," Wallace promised a delirious Steven. He seemed to be on the verge of death and Wallace knew if he didn't have enough money to buy the medicine Steven would die. He was almost out of time himself. A long time ago he had become human so he could live with Steven, but he only could for three years. He hoped that he would be able to get Steven medicine and give it to him before he turned back into a Swanna.

Now more motivated than ever he sprinted to the market, he got there very fast and made a beeline straight to the clothing stall. The man there always bought his clothes to sell to people.

"You look like you ran a marathon," he quipped. He accepted the clothes from Wallace's hands. "How does twelve dollars sound?"

"Sixteen." The medicine he needed was sixteen dollars, he had no other way of making money.

"I'll meet you in the middle at fourteen," the man bargained. Wallace shook his head. "I'm not going any higher than fourteen. Sure you make the best clothes around, but no one has enough money to buy them if I have to set the price higher."

"I need to buy medicine for Steven. If you won't pay sixteen then I'll go elsewhere," There was nowhere else for Wallace to go, but he figured the man didn't know that. He was right because he was handed sixteen dollars. Wallace wasted no time in running to the apothecary where he bought the medicine that would make Steven better.

"I hope I'm not too late," he said to himself as he ran home. For all he knew, Steven could be dead already. He tried to banish thoughts like that out of his head.

"Steven," he called as he threw open the door. To his relief the man looked up. He was still alive! He gave him the medicine which Steven was barely able to lift to his lips. Wallace was happy he made it in time. A smile broke out on both of their faces.

Soon after drinking the medicine, Steven collapsed. Wallace gasped, he was too late. "Please get up," he begged to no avail. He wept for hours until he decided he needed to get out of the house.

He completely forgot he was going to transform into a Swanna once more, and when it happened, he was distraught. He couldn't just leave Steven unburied. Deciding on what he must do, he went to the witch that had transformed him.

"I can see it in your eyes, you want to be human again. This time I will require something much more costly," the witch had an evil smirk on her face. "Do you accept?" Wallace nodded, he didn't care what it was. It wasn't like he had much to live for anyway.

There was a blinding light and he realized he was back outside his and Steven's house. Just as Wallace was about to turn around to enter the house, a something embraced him from behind. He whirled his head around to see Steven.

"You're alive," he tried to say, but nothing came out. That's when he realized what the witch took, it was his voice. Steven seemed to realize his voice was gone, but kissed him anyway. They would love each other until the end, no matter what.


End file.
